but have sought their good even as my own and now I say the same GOD that hath thus preserved mee in this place hath put it into my heart to depart from hence the cause thereof is not yet made known unto mee but feeling His good Spirit leading mee forth not knowing what my Service may be for Him else where I dare not to say as Pharaoh did Who is the LORD that I should obey Him Neither am I to reason or consult with flesh and blood about it because I know Him to be a GOD of Power by whom all Actions are weighed So let none blame mee as to my Children for as the care of a tender Mother hath been in mee for them so it remains and must be so to the end of my dayes being assured that their Father 's GOD will be with them and His Blessing shall rest upon us for ever more even His Blessing who hath chosen mee to follow Him fully and I may not thus requite Him who hath blessed mee with a great Trade and plenty as to the outward even what can be desired as to make it the cause of my disobedience to Him and so to have my heart set upon if as not willingly to leave it when Hee calls from it Oh my Father Thy Presence with mee is the onely thing desired by mee having that it 's enough and as Thou hast given even so take away as Thou pleasest A certain Faith is in mee that not one Hair of my Head shall perish without His Providence Who ruleth all Things according to the Counsel of His own Will So that neither I nor mine shall ever want Then let none take thought for it never added any thing to mee but let all your minds be turned inward and in the Dread and Fear of the LORD look not out It 's but a little time and wee are all passing out of this World Oh! let all watch that Their dayes be not ended before Their Work be finished for which They came into the World I know it was not to be heaping up perishing Riches all our dayes but the PEARL of greatest Price being found they that know the Excellency and Vertue of it can willingly sell all to purchase it for all outward glory I am to declare shall more and more be stain'd and the Glory within more fully reveal'd to all that love the LORD in sincerity The Treasures of this World let them take that seek after them for indeed my Kingdom is not of it neither is my delight in any thing but to feel the LORD near unto mee to guide mee in all my wayes whose Voice His own Sheep do know and cannot follow any other all perishing things are under Their feet the Mystery of Everlasting Life being reveal'd is more to them than all This let all know that I leave not my Trade in my own Will nor in a Temptation nor in an Imagination nor in slighting the LORD'S Mercy to mee therein neither Their love into whose hearts the LORD put it to trade with mee but in pure obedience to the Leadings of His own Spirit of Life made manifest in my mortal Body and good have I found it for mee to be kept in the Cross which is now freely taken up by mee because Hee hath of His infinite Love and Mercy joyn'd my Soul unto HIMSELF in an everlasting Covenant that no mortal Thing can break Bless the LORD all you that know the same And this is in my heart to desire That the LORD may shew mercy to all that have shewed mercy to mee and where any hard-heartedness hath been it may be forgiven And so in the love and good-will and peace of my Heavenly Father and in His meek pure and quiet Spirit I am to leave you and could if it were required of mee even lay down my Life for the Righteous Seed's sake in all that It might Reign and Rule which can onely glorifie the LORD M. B. 24th of the month called September 70. Ezek. 12.2 3. After I had read the foregoing Paper some of the People called Quakers for all call'd by that name I may not speak against there being a Remnant amongst them whose hearts are upright to the LORD and in whom He will yet be glorified who though they had interrupted mee before yet now began to be so violent in their rage and opposition that I could not proceed so as to be understood by the People which caused much crowding so that I was desired to withdraw which accordingly I did desiring all to depart that were not thither invited Since which time I have been silent in Publishing any thing that in the least might vindicate our Reputations from the many Lies and Aspertions cast upon us concerning that Matter neither is it my desire at present so much as to mind or meddle with them but as to that love which wee then had and still have to Them and unto all People I cannot but here mention and am willing to Print this following it being suteable to the present Occasion which I writ to one above a Year agoe Dear Friend c. THE Word of the LORD hath not been nor shall be published in vain viz. That many that have been first shall be last and many that are last shall be first At which many are offended yea I know it 's that and that chiefly at which many call'd my Friends are so much offended with mee but blessed are they that are not offended in Him whose Servant I am and whose Will I have done and Who hath rewarded me a thousand yea I can truly say a thousand fold Blessed and Praised be yea let all the upright in heart bless and praise His Holy Name from this time forth and for evermore Hallelujah O go not forth but Keep still and low and wait in the stilness till thou beest endowed with Power from on High and enabled to come forth in the Authority of the Most High to level the Mountains that stand in the way of our ZERUB-BABEL from building this latter House which Glory shall far transcend the Glory of the former O! hasten hasten tarry not my BELOVED calls the Marriage-Supper is prepared and His Table well-furnished and many are invited but excuses are so many that few are come but my LORD will have His Table fill'd and to that end will send to invite the Blind and the Lame yea the Hedges and High-wayes must be sought out Blessed are they and they only that are accounted worthy for they shall eat the good of the Land yea they shall be filled yea I say their Cup shall overflow and of their Joy and Peace Comfort and Consolation there shall be no end Praises in the Highest be to our GOD for ever and for evermore 18th of the month call'd August 70. J. P. These are some of the Messages which the LORD required mee to deliver at several of the Meetings of the People call'd Quakers viz. I Am to proclaim the
THE ARK Is begun to be Opened The Waters being somewhat abated Which with some Papers and Passages given forth by the Lord's Servants I am thus to Publish Who am made a Living Witness of the Spirits teaching which Worship is so Pure that I may not endeavour to gather any Proselites thereto yet am freely given up to serve all or any that truly fear the LORD John Pennyman Behold they of the House of Israel say The Vision that he seeth is for many dayes to come and he prophesieth of the times that are far off Therefore thus saith the LORD GOD There shall none of my Words be prolonged any more but the Word which I have spoken shall be done saith the LORD GOD. LONDON Printed in the Year accounted 1671. Several being desirous that I should Print something concerning my late Marriage which was published the 24th of the Month call'd October 1671. Which day though 't was a day of scorn and reproach yet I do say Many shall bless the Lord because thereof So that it is now with mee for their sakes and for the sake of all the honest-hearted to write a short Account of some Passages concerning it THE LORD having required mee to take one call'd Mary Boreman to be my Wife it was with me to have it made publick and to that end I desired a Meeting-place of the People called Quakers and the rather I did desire it because I had an interest therein But they not admitting mee that liberty I got leave for the use of Merchant-Taylors-Hall which being granted I then was to invite several sorts of Professors and also was to provide Food for about 250 Persons supposing about that number might be invited The Food was to be all of one sort and so was the Drink He that can read let him understand but what with the violent opposition of some of the People called Quakers intruding themselves with several of the rude People caused such a disturbance that I had neither liberty to declare what I had then to publish but also hindered my treating those so invited with that civility and respect I intended Yet what I declared there as a Message from the LORD here follows OH People my Bowels yearn my Bowels yearn towards you whose desires in any measure are after the LORD O that you would now I say that you would now return with all your hearts unto Him and obey the Voice of His Power in you then should you be made able to stand and endure the fiery Tryal which is come and coming Oh! the Day hastens wherein all Profession that is not grounded in the Life and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ whatever the mew of it be will be so shaken that an utter I say an utter blasting and withering shall come upon it and for that cause the LORD doth and will yet suffer great Tryals yea I say great Tryals to come both upon the Professors and Possessors of his Name that so his Children the Possessors may be manifested unto all and discerned from all that are but Professors though never so fair and seemingly covered for all Coverings but what is of the Power and Spirit it self shall be too narrow and all that are not covered with the Spirit and Power of Emmanuel their shame and nakedness shall appear more and more This is the Testimony which the Spirit and Word of Truth giveth therefore he that hath an ear to hear let him hear before the day of his Visitation be wholly past and the things belonging to his Peace be hid from his eyes for yet a little while and the voice shall be He that is filthy let him be filthy still for the Spirit of the Lord shall not alway strive with flesh but his Plagues and Indignation shall be poured out upon such as will not be gathered in the day of his Patience Long-forbearance and Free-love and he or she that loveth Father Mother Husband Wife Children House or Land Liberty Honour or any thing more than the Life of the Lamb shall be counted not worthy of Him and plainly manifested so to be Reade this who can and he that can receive it let him for the time draweth nigh yea I say the time it come that these Sayings must be fulfilled THE Indignation the Wrath of the LAMB is come Le t all Flesh tremble before HIM yea let all faces gather paleness who are joyn'd to Iniquity either of Flesh or Spirit for the Day of their Torment yea I say the Day of their Misery Vexation and Torment is come and coming yet more to be revealed and made manifest Wherefore I say again and it is the Word the LORD That all Flesh is but as grass before Him who is the MIGHTY DREADFUL TERRIBLE ONE Yea who is and will be more manifested to be a Consuming-Fire to all the Workers of Iniquity My Charge is to Warn you yea to Alarm you that whilst it is called to Day you harden not your hearts but that you would repent and turn unto the LORD if by any means you may find a place of Repentance before the Night come which is hastning on apace wherein none can work The Mouth of the LORD hath spoken it But as for you whose Hearts are chaste and intirely given up to serve the LORD I am to proclaim that the Year of Jubile is come yea the Time of your Deliverance yea I say the Set-time of your Deliverance is come and coming yet more to be reveal'd and made manifest Glory and Praise Hallelujah and Thanks be given to our GOD who Liveth and Reigneth in all His Saints and sanctified Ones both as KING PRIEST and PROPHET Glory and Praise in the highest be given to HIM from this time forth and for ever more Amen Hallelujah Subscribed and Published by one of the least of the Thousands of Israel yet one of that Number whom the LORD hath of His infinite Mercy chosen to follow Him fully and hath accounted Mee worthy to stand in the Gap and to be a Living-Witness against All Vnrighteousness yea I say against All manner of Vnrighteousness O let my Soul for ever Praise and Magnifie His Name who Alone is Worthy saith His Servant J. P. After I had delivered the aforesaid Message it was with mee to Read this following Paper which my Wife had writ above a year agoe concerning her leaving the City Friends and People IT 's in my heart to give satisfaction to all that have known mee how it is with mee as to the leaving this City The LORD having been with mee miraculously these eight years since the death of my dear Husband and carried mee through many deep sorrows in which time Hee brought mee near unto Himself for which my Soul doth truly bless His most holy Name and by His Heavenly Power Hee hath also kept mee from the very temptation of being greedy of Gain I have neither wronged nor defrauded any Creature either in Buying or Selling that I know of
Day of the LORD which is come to gather the Out-casts and to cleanse the Camp of Evil-doers The Life of the LAMB is risen whose Spouse was is and must be chast unto Him without spot wrinkle or any such thing The Fear I say the Fear of the LORD keeps the heart clean for it 's only the Clean and Pure in heart that can see GOD. Many I say many have been called yet few have followed the LORD fully The Wisdom I say the Wisdom of the JVST is risen to confound the Wisdom of the Wise I am a Messenger of glad Tydings to all that are of an upright heart to the LORD I say I am not only a Messenger of glad-Tydings to all that are of an upright and single heart to the LORD but also am a Messenger of Woe and Misery to all the workers of Iniquity J. P. Here follows some Lines which the LORD having made mee a Living witness of are a true and faithful Testimony I am also to Publish J. P. AS I was sinking down into the Invisible Life it lay hard upon mee to warn every one and that in the pure Fear of the LORD to return home with haste unto Him and to cease from all men who are but as the dust of the Earth before His Mightys Power which Power His Children dread to disobey What though those People that have called themselves by His Name be come out as it were with Swords and Staves against Him to betray the Innocent and to raise up malitious evil Reports against those who though in themselves are feeble yet have nothing in their eye but to follow His Leadings Having many years agoe received the Truth in the love of it and also in the Faith thereof that it and it only was and is sufficient to Lead and to Guide and to preserve out of all evil all those that diligently and with a single heart wait upon it as we the two Servants of the LOKD are Witnesses whom Hee hath joyned together having first wholly redeemed us out of the love and the delight of all visible things and shewed largely to us the emptiness and vanity of them all then did He make of us Twain One which when we came to Publish and that with simple innocent hearts before the LORD and many Witnesses then did many cast out their floods of Opposition and Reviling as if there were no GOD to behold their Words and Actions yet in patience and innocency were we kept even as Lambs dumb before the Shearer and opened not our mouths in the least to revile again Saying O LORD it 's Thou that fully Justifies it matters not who condemns and wee know Thee to be our Shield and our exceeding great Reward So in Thy Holy Awe and Fear are we made to declare against all that tyrannical Power that would be Lord over the Conscience of the least Babe that knows Thee to be their Father and to say do but Thou lead and wee are willing to follow Thee through both good and evil Report for Thou hast of a truth indear'd our Souls unto Thee and to nothing else besides Thee Glad should wee be to bear all in silence and not to meddle in any Case if Thy Will were so But the Righteous Seed is raised up that respects no People for their outward Forms of Religion but bears witness against all unrighteousness in which to live are wee called and every Soul that pants after it and cannot live without it shall enjoy it The Day is come that the pure in heart sees the LORD and parts with all for His Sake following Him through great Tribulation Oh! let the Souls of all that love Him bow to none besides Him Even so let it be with all the upright in heart saith His Servant 23d of the month call'd November 1671. Mary Pennyman O Thou Righteous Everlasting Seed how hast Thou been my Preserver from my Infancy I cannot forget how Thou hast followed mee with Mercies and multiplyed Thy Blessings upon mee Now is Thy Reward felt for all Reproaches Let none through unbelief depart from Thee for Thou art certainly the same this Day to all that trust in Thee and love nothing in comparison of Thee Draw all Thine after Thee to rest in peace with Thee as my Soul doth at this Day M. P. The Day of tryal is come that no Hypocrite can pass through The Fury of the ALMIGHTY is broken forth to trouble and torment all the double-hearted The evil Spies are discovered that seek to weaken the Faith of those that follow the Leadings of the Pure Spirit of Life because it leads not according to their Imaginations The subtilty and wisdom of Man is rejected by the LORD confusion and darkness is come upon it Wee being call'd into the Countrey that day forty dayes after the Publication of our Marriage at which time this following was writ NOW are forty dayes expired since the Waters began to swell which swell'd so high that they even overflowed all Banks so that I may say as of old That all flesh dyed that moved upon the Earth For as it was then that none could be preserv'd or kept alive to the LORD but who were preserv'd and kept alive in the ARK so it is now SHee that can receive it let him And now the DOVE having brought mee Glad-Tydings that the Waters are somewhat abated The ARK is to be opened and the Seed of the Righteous that was preserved and kept therein must now go forth and replenish the Earth which hath for a long time been void and as it were without form so that the Souls of the Upright have had little Pleasure or Delight therein but now is the Day of Glad-Tydings come now is the Day of their true Joy witnessed now is the Day of their Singing at hand now will the LORD alone be Exalted yea I say Hee alone will be Exalted in this Day wherein all the Wisdom of the Wise is confounded and will yet more abundantly that know not Him or that measure of Himself which Hee hath given to every One to be their Guide and Leader Wherefore be awakened all ye Sons and Daughters of Men of what Profession or Perswasion of Religion soever you are of for this is a Visitation from the LORD unto you happy are you that can and that do receive it Yea it is such a Visitation of His Love unto you that I am to declare and that in His Name and Authority That your Forms of Religion and outward Worship set up is not at all this day acceptable to Him so that every one that love your own Souls and desire to serve the LORD GOD only must hasten out from amongst them and return to Him and wait upon Him alone that so you may not dare to Sacrifice or Worship Him but as you witness Him to be your Guide and Leader For as it was of old that all Sacrifices and Worships that were not offered and performed by His requiring were abomination to Him so it is now Hee that hath an ear to hear let him hear yea let him hear what the Spirit saith for the Spirit speaketh expresly in this our Day That the Children of the LORD shall be taught of the LORD Wherefore come away you Sons and Daughters of the MOST HIGH you that have long waited for this Day wherein the SEED must be set at liberty from all Bonds yea I say from all manner of Bonds So that this is the Message I am to declare to you at this time That you set up no more Teachers without you but that you hearken and obey the Teachings of the LORD GOD within you for no longer will Hee be mocked but such as you sow such must you reap and if they be your Gods then hearken and follow them but if the LORD be your GOD then hearken and follow Him yet whatever you do or whomsoever you will serve this I have determined as the Servant of the LORD did that I and my House will serve the LORD GOD onely And thus I am clear from the Blood of all Men having faithfully Declar'd what the LORD hath required of mee who am a true lover of All without respect of Person because I am at perfect peace with the LORD J. P. Glad Tydings of great Joy is sent abroad to all you who have kept the Faith and not loved your lives unto death THe SEED is Raised the CHILD is Born wee have seen His appearance and are called to worship Him in the Spirit and in the Truth and cannot but rejoyce with an exceeding great Joy for the Deaf hear the Dumb speak the Lame walk and to the Poor the Gospel is Preached Blessed are they that can receive it But now do the wise Men seek to destroy the young Child's life though with fair pretences that They also would worship Him yea they are exceeding wrath and would destroy if possible every motion of life that springs up purely in every true Thirster after it but the Voice is heard This is My Beloved Son hear ye Him Glory is given to the LORD on High and good-will is offered unto Men. Behold this Manifestation is appointed for the Fall and Rising again of many in this day and for a Sign which shall be spoken against But in THEE in THEE is our Souls delight who have longed to see Thy DAY break forth in its Glory though many dayes wee have suffered with Thee in mourning and weeping being ready to say They have take away my LORD and I know not where they have laid Him But now is the Joy received that none can take away How can wee but call upon all to cast off whatever would hinder and to wait with all diligence to receive HIM that none but the pure in heart can see who by His quickening Power hath raised the Dead to Life Behold it is come and it is done saith the LORD GOD this is the Day whereof I have spoken Here is the Patience of the Saints Here are They that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of JESUS THE END